Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 03.djvu/147

* BISMARCK-SCHONHAUSEN. 123 BISMARCK-SCHONHAUSEN. the conviction that the kingdom of Prussia ought not to be ruled by the Pope, and we de- mand that j'ou, the L Itranionlane section of the Roman Catholics, respect oui- convictions as ■we do vours." The controversy led to an attempt upon Bismarck's life by a mechanic named Kull- luann, in 1874. Finally, however. Ultramontane resistance drove Bismarck into an attitude of intolerance which proved untenable. Personally he had passed through four stages in his reli- gious views, having arrived through rationalism, skepticism, and conventional Christianity at a profound religious conviction, with a firm faith in God and immortality. He was tolerant be- cause he cared little for creeds and outward forms. An equally difficult problem confronted Bis- marck in the growing power of the Socialists. Two attempts on the life of the Emperor in 1878, by avowed Socialists, enabled the Chancel- lor to overcome the scruples of the Liberals in the Eeichstag. and to secure the passage of special laws for the suppression of socialistic agitation. The Kultiirkantjjf had brought Bismarck into al- liance vvitli the National Liberals; his conserva- tive tendencies broke this alliance, and he came to .an understanding with the Conservatives and Catholics. Now that he had suppressed the po- litical activity of the Socialists for the time being, Bismarck very characteristically gave his attention to checking the movement by making many features of the Socialist programme his own, and he initiated a policy of paternalism, whii'h was con.sidered not far removed from State Socialism in some of its aspects. The most nota- ble of the law's passed to placate the working classes were the sickness, accident, and old-age insurance acts of 1883-1889. With the industrial and cgmmercial develop- ment of the Empire, the time .seemed ripe for expansion beyond the seas, and in 1884 Bismarck entered upon his colonial policy, at first half- heartedly. In a speech before the Reichstag, June 26, 1884, he declared his opposition to forced colonization, and his willingness to sup- port only such a colonial policy as grew out of the need of protecting German subjects in for- eign lands. He favored leaving the management of affairs largely to chartered trading compa- nies, and added: "It is not our intention to found provinces, but to foster commercial enterprise." To stimulate industry and thereby to check the continuous emigration from Germany, Bismarck advocated a protective tariff. To settle the Afri- can question, as raised by the work of the Inter- national African Association, he arranged a con- ference at Berlin in 1884-85, which secured the recognition of the Congo Free State and laid down the lines upon which the partition of Africa has been effected. Bi.-niarck was the author of the policy of subsidizing steamship lines from Germany to Asia, Africa, and Australasia. He never changed the conservative views on coloniza- tion that he had expressed in 1884, although cir- cumstances forced him into action hardly con- sistent with those views. As early as 18(i.5 he had advocated the Baltic and North Sea Canal, which was constructed after his retirement. The genius of Bismarck was always most con- Bpicnoiis in international affairs. He deliber- ately brought on three wars — with Denmark, Austria, and France — in order to further the (treat consummation of German unity. The Vol. III.— 9. German Em])ire once established, the great Chan- cellor's policy became one of peace. He avoided entangling Germany in the Eastern t^uestion; but when the rivals of Russia were aroused by the Treaty of San Stefano, in 1878, he asserted (Jermany's leadership in Europe by inviting an international congress to meet at Berlin. (See Beulin, Coxgkess of.) He formed the Triple Alliance to secure Germany against both France and Russia, but at the same time maintained the most friendly relations with Russia. France he did not regard as a serious competitor of Germany after 1871. His matured convictions in regard to Germany's position are set forth in his autobiographj-. In that work, after some observations on Russia's relations to the Eastern Question, he observed that if Russia failed to receive assurance of German neutrality, the old coalition of the Seven Years' War — the alliance, that is, of Austria, Russia, and France against Prussia — might be revived. "If Germany pos- sesses the advantage," he said, "of having no direct interests at stake in the East, she labors on the other hand under the disadvantage of an exposed position in the heart of Europe, with an extended frontier, which has to be defended on every side, and surrounded by enemies ready to enter into alliance against her. At the same time, Germany is, perhaps, the only great Power in Eu- rope which is not tempted by objects unattain- able except through war. It is our interest to maintain peace, while our Continental neighbors, without exception, foster ambitions, either secret or officially avowed, which can be realized only by war. We must direct our policy in accord- ance with these facts — that is, we must do our best to prevent war, or at least to restrict it." Bismarck's largeness of view and freedom from petty enmity is shown by his efforts, as soon as Austria had been beaten at Sadowa, to estab- lish friendly relations between that Power and Germany. A man of strong passions, he allowed no prejudice to blind him to the requirements of sound national policy. His attachment to Emperor William I. was in every way creditable to him. After the death of the Emperor in 1888, Bismarck remained in office during the brief reign of his successor, the Em- peror Frederick. William II. had learned his statecraft in the school of Bismarck, but it was inevitable that the autocratic young Emperor should come into collision with the strong-willed minister who had been so long accustomed to the personal direction of Prussian and German affairs. Numenms quar- rels finally led to the resignation of Uisnuirck, which occurred on March 20, 18!)0. He retired to Friedrichsruh. On leaving office the title of Duke of Lauenburg was bestowed upon him by the Emperor, together with one of the highest military ranks (Generaloberst of cavalrj'). The open estrangement between the two continued until after Bismarck's severe illness in 1893, when the Emperor made advances toward a reconciliation, which took place in form at least. Bismarck's eightieth birthday (April 1, 1895) was made the occasion of a great demonstration throughout Germany, He was visited by the Emperor and by thotisands of militarj' and po- litical associates, and a Bismarck Mu.seum was founded in Berlin. So positive a force in the life of his day neces- sarily aroused both intense admiration and bitter